Hello! And we’re back! Late as always, but never forgotten, we return with an album of the month post, but this time it’s about two months instead. Since January and February are often a bit dull in terms of releases we wanted to combine the two. Due to the quite free-form process of how we select which album to review (we have a spreadsheet we keep up and we browse for an album that seems interesting), we were reviewing February albums quite a bit after the fact. Hence I didn’t want to publish an album of the month thing yet. And so time went by quickly and now April’s already long past the halfway mark that we’re publishing this. But whatever the reasons, better late than never.
Excuses aside though, there’s actually some exciting news I have to share with you all. We now have an about page! On our “Meet the Team” page you can see what each member of our staff looks like, what our favorite bands are, and a little insight into what we do in life otherwise. We originally wanted to launch this like a year ago, but… somehow it never came to fruition.
Meer – Playing House (Norway)
Style: Indie prog rock (clean vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify
Pick by: Nick
I really wish I had more room here to write about just how much I love this album. As a massive fan of indie prog this album scratched about ten itches at once and did it flawlessly. The variety of sounds and vibes that they tackle on this album is something to be commended as are the absolutely awe-inspiring performances. Playing House hits all the notes it aims for, and even though some songs can sound like direct riffs on modern legends like Bent Knee or The Dear Hunter, they approach it with enough originality that this isn’t really an issue. If you’re looking for an album that builds on the foundation of both old and modern prog, and is packed with spine-tingling earworms, this album is for you.
You can read the original review here.
Recommended tracks: Picking Up The Pieces, Beehive, Honey, Across the Sea, Lay It Down
Recommended for fans of: The Dear Hunter, Bent Knee, The Reign of Kindo, 70s Genesis, Steven Wilson
IOTUNN – Access all Worlds (country)
Style: prog melodeath/power (mixed vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify
Pick by: Dylan
You could say that since its release, IOTUNN has been able to Access Most Worlds of the non-underground…
In all seriousness, there’s a reason this band is flying high in hype, given that they’ve put out an album that offers a refreshing take of melodeath and power metal. Pocketing influences from bands all over the prog-sphere, it nearly seems as too good to be true, but thankfully the band’s exquisite ability in songwriting accomplishes a bold, daring release that says “I want to be different, and I want to blow your socks off while at it”. Access all Worlds will easily be on multiple AOTY lists by the end of the year thanks to that.
You can read the original review here.
Recommended tracks: Access all Worlds, Laihem’s Golden Pits, The Weaver System
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Insomnium, Nevermore, Amon Amarth, Candlemass, Dan Swano
Ad Nauseam – Imperative Imperceptible Impulse (Italy)
Style: dissonant death metal (harsh vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp
Pick by: Dan
The skronkmasters are at it again! Ad Nauseam triumphantly returns after six years with more of their exceptionally skillful breed of dense, angular, dissonant death metal. The lengthy compositions weave in and out of hypnotic focus, occasionally destructuring their technical, hellish soundscapes into oppressive ambiance. These are meticulously written songs with flawless transitions and outstanding production. It’s a barrage of aural pyrotechnics that keeps you hostage for its duration, clinging on for dear life to anything you can find, and when you crawl out the other side alive, everything else just feels lifeless and uninspired. Dissodeath doesn’t get any better than this.
You can read the original review here.
Recommended tracks: Sub Specie Aeternitatis, Horror Vacui, Human Interface To No God
Recommended for fans of: Ulcerate, Deathspell Omega, Sunless, Gorguts
Need – Norchestrion: A Song for the End (Greece)
Style: traditional prog metal (clean vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify
Pick by: Sam
You know it’s weird how at one moment something can seem quite average, and the next you’re suddenly mind blown? Well, that’s pretty much what happened with me when it came to this record. At first it may seem like just your average prog metal record with chunky riffs and soaring vocals, but it’s all done so well and with such passion it’s hard to shake it off. There are so many ear-worms and breathtaking moments on this album. It’s paced really well, and the songwriting is dynamic and unpredictable enough to make it a wonderful journey to sit through. This album is just exactly shaped to my niche, and there’s been nothing else this year that hit me quite as hard as this. So far, this is easily my album of the year, and it’ll take a hell of a lot to dethrone it.
You can read the original review here.
Recommended tracks: Beckethead, Norchestrion, Circadian, Ananke
Recommended for fans of: Fates Warning, Vanden Plas, Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation
Kaupe – Cognitive Dissonance (US-FL)
Style: classic prog/thrash metal (instrumental)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify
Pick by: Dylan
Kaupe is simply badass. They blend a classic prog aesthetic with old-school keys and the modern sci-fi thrash trend established by acts like Vektor, this results in some of the most intricate yet engaging melodies you can find. Every track is rather short, so that it doesn’t waste a second of its runtime not throwing something interesting at you musically. The flow is impeccable, every track is enjoyable, and the overall feel you get when the album’s over is satisfaction, with an urge to play it again immediately. Check it out
You can read the original review here.
Recommended tracks: Death Rattle, Cognitive Dissonance, Capsized
Recommended for fans of: classic prog, Vektor
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